Creating and Managing Multichassis Link Aggregation Groups (MC-LAGs)

Multichassis link aggregation groups (MC-LAGs) enable a device to form a logical link aggregation group (LAG) interface between two switches. An MC-LAG provides redundancy and load balancing between the two switches, multihoming support, and a loop-free Layer 2 network without running Spanning Tree Protocol (STP).

MC-LAG peer switches use the Inter-Chassis Control Protocol (ICCP) to exchange control information and interchassis link (ICL) to exchange data.

At one end of an MC-LAG are the MC-LAG client devices, such as servers or switches, that have one or more physical links in a LAG. Client devices do not need to detect the MC-LAG. At the other end of the MC-LAG are two peer devices. Each of these switches has one or more physical links connected to a single client device. The switches coordinate with each other to ensure that data traffic is forwarded properly.

You can create MC-LAGs using QFX Series and EX9200 devices. However, both the peer devices must be the same type . Network Director can manage MC-LAG devices that are created and configured through the CLI mode also. If MC-LAG devices are configured through the CLI mode, ensure that LLDP is enabled on MC-LAG, ICCP LAG, ICL LAG, and client LAG links.

Supported devices in an MC-LAG:

Peer devices: QFX5100, QFX10002, and EX9200 switches
Client devices: All standalone and Virtual Chassis devices managed by Network Director except IP Fabric devices and MX Series devices

For detailed steps on creating MC-LAGs using Network Director, follow the procedure given below or the steps shown in this video-based tutorial:

This topic includes:

Accessing the MC-LAG Page

To access the MC-LAG page:

Click the Build mode icon in the Network Director banner.
Select Wired > Tasks > Manage MC-LAG in the Tasks pane.
The Manage MC-LAG page opens, which displays the existing MC-LAG peers and enables you to create, edit, or delete an MC-LAG. In the Manage MC-LAG page, the peer devices for each MC-LAG that is created using Network Director or created using the CLI mode and discovered for management by Network Director, are listed. The Manage MC-LAG page displays the device name, device model, deployment status, and local IP address of the MC-LAG peer devices. If any peer device is not managed by Network Director, the MC-LAG Peer displays as Unknown. Click the peer devices of any MC-LAG to view details of the MC-LAG, such as, descriptions of the peer devices, peer-to-peer link details, and client-to-peer link details.

Creating an MC-LAG

To create an MC-LAG:

Click Create MC-LAG in the Manage MC-LAG page.

The Create MC-LAG page opens. It displays two tabs—Peer Devices and Client Devices. By default, the Peer Devices tab is selected and displays in orange color.

On the left of the Create MC-LAG page, the Peer Devices tab lists QFX Series and EX9200 devices that are managed by Network Director. These are the available devices from which you can select the peer devices for the MC-LAG you create. On the right, a schematic diagram of the two peer devices PEER␣1, PEER␣2, and a representation of the client devices as boxes are displayed.

Creating an MC-LAG involves four tasks:

Selecting Peer Devices and Configuring Peer-to-Peer Link Settings
Selecting Client Devices and Configuring Client-to-Peer Link Settings
Saving MC-LAG Settings
Deploying MC-LAG Configuration

Selecting Peer Devices and Configuring Peer-to-Peer Link Settings

To select the peer devices and configure peer-to-peer link settings:

From the list of devices in the Peer Devices tab in the Create MC-LAG page, select a device, and drag and drop it into one of the boxes labeled PEER␣1 or PEER␣2.
After you drag and drop the first peer device, the list refilters and displays only devices that qualify to be the second peer.

For example, if you select a QFX10002 switch as one of the peer devices, then only QFX10002 switches are listed for you to select as the second peer device.
Select the second device from the refiltered list of peer devices and drag and drop it into the second peer box.
The Peer to Peer Link Settings window opens. The Client Devices tab is automatically enabled in the background in the Create MC-LAG page.
In the Peer to Peer Link Settings window, select Combine Data and Control Links if you want to combine the data and control links, that is, if you want a single link to act as both the control link and data link between the two ports that you selected. Network Director configures this link as an ICCP link.
If you want to have ICCP (control) and ICL (data) links separately between the peer devices, do not select this option.

Note:
By default, Combine Data and Control Links is not selected. If you select this, you must specify the VLAN Name and VLAN ID in the respective fields in the Peer to Peer Link Settings window.

The physically connected ports of the peer devices are displayed in the Data and Control Link Ports* table in the Peer to Peer Link Settings window, if you have refreshed the topologies of the peer devices in the Topology View in Network Director. If the LLDP or topology information of the peer devices are not available for Network Director, port details are not displayed.

Tip:
To refresh the topology, select Topology View in Views and then select Discovery-Topology > Refresh Topology in the Tasks pane. For the topology to refresh, LLDP must be enabled on the interfaces that are connected to the peer and client devices.
Click Add Port.
A new row is added to the table under Data and Control Link Ports*, where you must enter the port details for the peer devices.
From the drop-down menu for the PEER␣1 device you selected, select a port to assign to the MC-LAG.
From the drop-down menu for the PEER␣2 device you selected, select a port to assign to the MC-LAG.
Specify the type of link between the ports on the two peer devices by selecting Data, Control, or Data & Control from the Port Type list.
Note:
If you have selected Combine Data and Control Links in Step 3, Data & Control is the default port type. If you have not selected Combine Data and Control Links in Step 3, the available options are Data and Control.

For the Data & Control port type, a single link between the peer devices acts as both the control and data link. If you select Data as the port type, then you must add a new pair of ports in the next row by clicking Add Ports, and then selecting Control as the port type for the control between the peer devices. If you select Control as the port type, then you must add a new pair of ports in the next row by clicking Add Ports, and then selecting Data as the port type for the control between the peer devices.

Note:
You must specify at least one link between the peer devices.
Click Update.
A new row is added with the port details.
Enter the IPv4 Address and mask.
This IPv4 address is configured for the control link inet address and used as the local IP address for the ICCP. Network Director configures the peer IP addresses from this local IP address internally.
Click OK.
The Peer to Peer Link Settings window closes, and the Create MC-LAG page is displayed.

The Client Devices tab is selected by default. In the schematic diagram, the links that you configured between the peer devices changes to display in green, indicating that the links are successfully configured. The color does not indicate the operational status of the link.

Selecting Client Devices and Configuring Client-to-Peer Link Settings

To select a client device and configure client-to-peer link settings:

In the Client Devices tab on the Create MC-LAG page, select the device type for the client you want to be part of the MC-LAG by clicking an option from the drop-down menu in the Type field. Options available are: Switches, Bare Metal Servers, and Hypervisors.
The list of client devices displays the devices (switches, hypervisors, or bare metal servers) depending on the type that you selected. By default, only switches are listed.
Select a device from the list of client devices, and drag and drop it into one of the boxes labeled Drag & Drop Clients here to add.
Note:
If you select a Virtual Chassis switch, the client box shows a graphical representation of Virtual Chassis; if you select a bare metal server or hypervisor server, the client box shows the graphical representation of that respective type of server.

The Client to Peer Link Settings window opens.
Select MC-AE Mode. The modes available are Active-Active and Active-Standby.
Note:
Only EX9200 and QFX10002 devices support both Active-Active and Active-Standby modes. The other devices support only the Active-Active mode.
- Active-Active mode: If the client-to-peer setting mode is set to Active-Active mode, all peer port links will be active in the MC-LAG. In this mode, MAC addresses discovered in one MC-LAG peer device is propagated to the other peer device. Traffic is load balanced, and convergence is faster.
- Active-Standby mode: If the client-to-peer setting mode is set to Active-Standby mode, only one of the MC-LAG peer devices is active at any given time. The other peer device is in backup, that is standby, mode.
The ports that are physically connected between the client and peer devices are displayed in PEER␣1 and PEER␣2 if you have refreshed the topologies of the peer devices in the Topology View in Network Director. If the LLDP or topology information of the peer devices are not available for Network Director, the port details are not displayed.

Tip:
To refresh the topology, select Topology View in Views and then select Discovery-Topology > Refresh Topology in the Tasks pane. For the topology to refresh, LLDP must be enabled on the ports that are connected to the peer and client devices.
Click Add Port to select the client and peer ports.
A new row is added to the table, where you must enter the port details for the peer and client devices.
Select the client port from the drop-down menu corresponding to the Client Port.
Note:
If you selected Switches as the type of client device, then Client Port is a mandatory field. If you selected Bare Metal Servers or Hypervisors, then the drop-down menu does not display any client port, as Network Director does not enable you to configure VLANs or ports in the servers.
From the drop-down menu select the peer port you want to connect to the client port.
Click Update. A row is added that displays the client port and peer port.
Note:
If you have selected Peer␣1 Port and linked it to a client port first, then select Peer␣2 Port and link it to a client port. Both Peer␣1 port and Peer␣2 port cannot be selected in one row. The client device must be connected to both peer devices.
In the Client to Peer VLANs* table in the Client to Peer Link Settings window, Network Director displays all the VLANs of the client. If the client has the same VLAN ID as that of a peer or the peers, Network Director automatically populates the Routed Interface Address and VRRP Attributes for those peers in the respective fields. If there are no VLANs displayed in the table, add a VLAN by clicking Select VLAN or Add VLAN. This VLAN is configured in the PEER␣1 and PEER␣2 devices to ensure connectivity and data flow between the peers. You can configure multiple clients.
To edit a VLAN, click the fields of the VLAN that you want to edit.
Note:
- If you want to select a VLAN other than the VLANs displayed in the Client to Peer Link Settings window, click Select VLAN and select the VLANs from the list that displays in the Choose VLAN Profile pop-up window.
- You can remove a VLAN that you have created, but not deployed, in the client device by selecting the VLAN and clicking Remove VLAN .
- Do not remove VLANs that are deployed in the devices.
Network Director Release 2.5 supports Layer 3 routing. To enable Layer 3 routing, configure the Routed Interface Address and VRRP Attributes by clicking the respective fields.

Select the IP type by clicking the arrow in the IP Type field. The available options are IPv4 and IPv6.
Enter the IP addresses and mask for the peer devices in the corresponding fields. The IP addresses must be the IP addresses of the integrated routing and bridging interface.
Enter the VRRP group ID in Group ID and enter the virtual IP address in Virtual IP to assign the virtual IP that is shared between each switch in the VRRP group.
Click Update.
To add a VLAN, click Add VLAN. A new row is created in the Client to Peer VLANs* table. Enter the VLAN ID and VLAN name in their corresponding fields, and perform Steps 8 through 11.

To remove a VLAN, select the VLAN, and click Remove VLAN.
Click OK to submit the settings that you entered in the Client to Peer Link Settings window and to close the window.
The Client to Peer Link Settings window closes.

Network Director configures different IP addresses on IRB interfaces on the MC-LAG peers and runs the VRRP on the IRB interfaces. The virtual IP address is the gateway IP address for the MC-LAG clients. To provide Layer 3 routing functions to downstream clients, the MC-LAG network peers must be configured to provide the same gateway address to the downstream clients.

Saving MC-LAG Settings

To save the MC-LAG settings that you configured:

Click Save in the Create MC-LAG page.
Network Director saves the MC-LAG settings and displays the message MC-LAG save is successful and is ready to be deployed to the devices.
Click OK.
The Manage MC-LAG page lists the MC-LAG that you created. By default, the Deployment State for the MC-LAG displays as Pending Deployment.

Deploying MC-LAG Configuration

To deploy a new or edited MC-LAG configuration:

In the Deploy mode, click Configuration Deployment > Deploy Configuration Changes in the Tasks pane.
The Devices with Pending Changes page opens, displaying devices that have pending configuration changes.
In the list in the Devices with Pending Changes page, select the devices that you configured as the peer and client devices of the MC-LAG.
Note:
To view the deployment information for a device, select the device and click View. The Configuration window opens, which shows the CLI and XML view of the configuration that will be deployed in the device.
Click Deploy Now to deploy the configuration.
The Device Configuration window opens. The Deployment Status shows the status as INPROGRESS and changes to SUCCESS once the deployment is successfully completed.

MC-LAG Automation Parameters

Network Director configures a number of parameters internally and automates the creation or modification of MC-LAGs.

Table 1 describes the parameters that are internally configured by Network Director.

Table 1: MC-LAG Automation Parameters
Parameter	Description
LAG	LAG is created for ICCP, ICL, and MC-AE in peer devices, and a LAG is created for client devices.
mc-ae-id	Specifies which MC-LAG the aggregated Ethernet interface belongs to.
redundancy-group (supported only in QFX10002 and EX9200 devices)	Used by ICCP to associate multiple chassis that perform similar redundancy functions. It is used to establish a communication channel so that applications running on the peer devices can exchange messages.
init-delay-time:240ms:	Specifies the delay in number of seconds to bring the MC-LAG interface back to the Up state when an MC-LAG peer is rebooted.
chassis-id 0 for Peer 1, and 1 for Peer 2	Used by LACP for calculating the port number of the MC-LAG physical member links. Each MC-LAG peer must have a unique chassis ID.
status-control Active for Peer 1, and Standby for Peer 2	Specifies whether this node becomes active or goes into standby mode when an ICL failure occurs; must be active on one node and standby on the other node.
LACP active	Configured in ICL LAG, ICCP LAG, MC-LAG and client switch LAG. LACP is used to discover multiple links from a client device connected to an MC-LAG peer. LACP must be configured on all member links for an MC-LAG to work correctly.
LACP system-id and admin-key	Configures the same LACP system ID and admin-key for the MC-LAG on each MC-LAG peer. This displays Peer␣1 and Peer␣2 as a single switch to the edge switch when negotiating LACP.
LACP periodic fast	Configured on ICCP LAG, ICL LAG and MC-LAG. LACP fast periodic is achieved by configuring fast intervals (in seconds) for periodic transmission of LACP.
Hold time Up 100000 down 0 for interfaces used for MC LAG. Up 0 down 2000 for interfaces used for ICL LAG.	Specifies the hold-time value to use to damp interface transitions. When an interface goes down, it is not broadcast to the rest of the system till it remains down for the hold-time period. Similarly, an interface is not broadcast as being Up till it remains up for the hold-time period.
multi-chassis-protection	Specifies the peer’s ICCP IP address and the ICL link used for protection if the MC-AE interface goes down.
session-establishment-hold-time 300	Establishes ICCP connection quickly.
backup-liveness-detection: management IP of peer device	Is invoked when the ICCP link goes down. With backup liveness detection enabled, the MC-LAG peers establish an out-of-band channel through the management network in addition to the ICCP channel.
liveness-detection minimum-receive-interval 500, multiplier 3, transmit-interval 500	Determines whether a peer is up or down by exchanging keepalive messages over the management link between the two ICCP peers.
RSTP	Is enabled on peer devices MC-LAG and switch client LAG in point to point mode . If client is a server, then it enables `bpdu-block-on-edge` and `edge` on MC-LAG peer devices. Bridge-priority is set to 0 on both the peer devices.
ARP, MAC, arp-l2-validate, l2-interface ICL LAG on IRB	Provides IRB-to-IRB connectivity across the ICL. Using the VRRP over IRB method to enable Layer 3 functionality, it configures static ARP entries through the ICL for the IRB interface of the remote MC-LAG peer, which enables routing protocols to run over the IRB interfaces.

Editing an MC-LAG

In the Manage MC-LAG page, you can add, edit or delete peer ports, edit existing peer-to-peer link settings, add client, remove client, and edit client-to-peer link settings. You cannot add or delete peer devices if both the peers are part of MC-LAG.

Click Edit corresponding to the MC-LAG peers that you want to modify, in the Manage MC-LAG page.

The Edit MC-LAG page opens. It displays two tabs—Peer Devices and Client Devices. If both the peer devices of the MC-LAG are already configured as part of the MC-LAG, the Client Devices tab is selected, and it displays in orange color. On the left of the Edit MC-LAG page, a list of client devices are displayed.

If one of the peer devices is Unknown, the Peer Devices tab is selected, and it displays in orange color. On the left of the Edit MC-LAG page, a list of peer devices, that are of the same type and ELS capability as of the discovered peer, are displayed.

On the right of the Edit MC-LAG page, a schematic diagram of the existing two peer devices PEER␣1, PEER␣2, and a representation of the client devices as boxes are displayed.

Managing Peer Devices and Peer-to-Peer Link Settings
Managing Client Devices and Client-to-Peer Link Settings

Managing Peer Devices and Peer-to-Peer Link Settings

To add, edit, or delete a peer port, or edit peer-to-peer link settings:

Click Control Link or Data Link that is displayed between PEER␣1 and PEER␣2 in the schematic diagram.
The Peer to Peer Link Settings window opens.

Note:
The Combine Data and Control Links option is unavailable.

The peer ports that you already configured are displayed in the table Data and Control Links Ports*.
To add a port, click Add Port.
A new row is added to the table, where you must enter the port details for the peer devices.
From the drop-down menu for the PEER␣1 device, select a port to assign to the MC-LAG.
From the drop-down menu for the PEER␣2 device, select a port to assign to the MC-LAG.
Specify the type of link between the ports on the two peer devices by selecting Data, Control, or Data & Control from the Port Type list.
Note:
If you have selected Combine Data and Control Links, Data & Control is the default port type. If you have not selected Combine Data and Control Links, the available options are Data and Control.

For the Data & Control port type, a single link between the peer devices act as both the control and data link. If you select Data as the port type, then you must add a new pair of ports in the next row by clicking Add Ports, and then selecting Control as the port type for the control between the peer devices. If you select Control as the port type, then you must add a new pair of ports in the next row by clicking Add Ports, and then selecting Data as the port type for the control between the peer devices.

Note:
You must specify at least one link between the peer devices.

Note:
To delete a peer port, select the port that you want to remove from the MC-LAG, and click Remove Port.

To edit a peer port, click the port and modify the port details.
Click Update.
If you want to edit the control link IPv4 address, edit the IPv4 Address and mask fields in the Control Link table.
This IPv4 address is configured for the control link inet address and is used as the local IP address for the ICCP. Network Director internally configures the peer IP addresses from this local IP address.

If the data and control links are combined, VLAN ID and VLAN name are displayed and can be edited here.
Click OK.
The Peer to Peer Link Settings window closes, and the Edit MC-LAG page is displayed.

Managing Client Devices and Client-to-Peer Link Settings

To add or remove client devices, and edit client-to-peer link settings:

Click Client Devices tab in the Edit MC-LAG page.
The Client Devices tab on the Create MC-LAG page lists switches that are managed by Network Director. On the right, a schematic diagram of the two peer devices PEER␣1, PEER␣2, and a representation of the client devices as boxes are displayed.
Select the device type for the client you want to be part of the MC-LAG by clicking an option from the drop-down menu in the Type field. Options available are: Switches, Bare Metal Servers, and Hypervisors.
The list displays the devices (switches, hypervisors, or bare metal servers) depending on the type that you selected. By default, only switches are listed.
Select a device from the list of client devices, and drag and drop it into one of the boxes labeled as Drag & Drop Clients here to add.
Note:
If you select a Virtual Chassis switch, the client box shows a graphical representation of Virtual Chassis; if you select a bare metal server or hypervisor server, the client box shows the graphical representation of that respective type of server.

To delete a client device from an MC-LAG configuration, click the x mark on the client device in the carousel. The client device is removed from the carousel and the Deployment State changes to Pending Deployment in the Manage MC-LAG page.

The Client to Peer Link Settings window opens.
Select the MC-AE Mode. The available options are: Active-Active and Active-Standby.
Note:
- The MC-AE mode is enabled if you are adding a client device.
- Only EX9200 and QFX10002 devices support both Active-Active and Active-Standby modes. The other devices support only the Active-Active mode.
- Active-Active mode: If the client-to-peer setting mode is set to Active-Active mode, all peer port links will be active in the MC-LAG. In this mode, MAC addresses discovered in one MC-LAG peer device is propagated to the other peer device. Traffic is load balanced, and convergence is faster.
- Active-Standby mode: If the client-to-peer setting mode is set to Active-Standby mode, only one of the MC-LAG peer devices is active at any given time. The other peer device is in backup, that is standby, mode.
The ports that are physically connected between the client and peer devices are displayed in PEER␣1 and PEER␣2 if you have refreshed the topologies of the peer devices in the Topology View in Network Director. If the LLDP or topology information of the peer devices are not available for Network Director, the port details are not displayed.

Tip:
To refresh the topology, select Topology View in Views and then select Discovery-Topology > Refresh Topology in the Tasks pane. For the topology to refresh, LLDP must be enabled on the ports that are connected to the peer and client devices.
Click Add Port to select the client and peer ports.
A new row is added to the table, where you must enter the port details for the peer and client devices.
Select the client port from the drop-down menu corresponding to the Client Port.
Note:
If you selected Switches as the type of client device, then Client Port is a mandatory field. If you selected Bare Metal Servers or Hypervisors, then the drop-down menu does not display any client port, as Network Director does not enable you to configure VLANs or ports in the servers.
Select Peer 1 Port or Peer 2 Port from the drop-down list in the corresponding fields.
Note:
The client port is displayed only if you have selected Switches as the device type for the client device.
Click Update.
To add a new peer port and link it to a client port:
Click Add Port.

A blank row is added in the Client to Peer Ports table.
Select the client port by clicking the drop-down menu corresponding to the Client Port.
Select Peer 1 Port or Peer 2 Port, from the drop-down menu in the corresponding fields.
Note:
If you have selected Peer 1 Port and linked it to a client port earlier, then select Peer 2 Port and link it to the a client port. Both Peer␣1 port and Peer␣2 port cannot be selected in one row.
Click Update.
In the Client to Peer VLANs* table, in the Client to Peer Link Settings window, Network Director displays all the VLANs of the client. If the client has the same VLAN ID as that of a peer or the peers, Network Director automatically populates the Routed Interface Address and VRRP Attributes for those peers in the respective fields. If there are no VLANs displayed in the table, add a VLAN by clicking Select VLAN or Add VLAN. This VLAN is configured in the Peer␣1 and Peer␣2 devices to ensure connectivity and data flow between the peers. You can configure multiple clients.
Note:
- If you want to select a VLAN other than the VLANs displayed in the Client to Peer Link Settings window, click Select VLAN and select the VLANs from the list that displays in the Choose VLAN Profile pop-up window.
- You can remove a VLAN that you have created, but not deployed, in the client device by selecting the VLAN and clicking Remove VLAN .
- Do not remove VLANs that are deployed in the devices.
Network Director Release 2.5 supports Layer 3 routing. To enable Layer 3 routing, configure the Routed Interface Address and VRRP Attributes in the respective fields.

Select the IP type by clicking the arrow in the IP Type field. The available options are IPv4 and IPv6.

Enter the IP addresses and mask for the peer devices in the corresponding fields.

Note:
While editing an existing client device link settings, you cannot edit the VLAN Name, VLAN ID, Routed interface Address, and VRRP Attributes if they are already configured. If they are not configured, you can add Routed interface Address and VRRP Attributes.
Enter the VRRP group ID in Group ID and enter the virtual IP address in Virtual IP to assign the virtual IP address that is shared between each switch in the VRRP group.
Click Update.
To add a VLAN, click Add VLAN. A new row is created. Enter the VLAN ID and VLAN name in their corresponding fields, and perform Steps 13 through 15.

To remove a VLAN, select the VLAN and click Remove VLAN.
Click OK to submit the settings that you entered in the Client to Peer Link Settings window.
The Client to Peer Link Settings window closes.
Click Save in the Manage MC-LAG page.
Network Director saves the MC-LAG settings and displays the message MC-LAG save is successful and is ready to be deployed to the devices.
Click OK.
The Manage MC-LAG page lists the newly created MC-LAG. By default, the Deployment State for the newly created MC-LAG displays as Pending Deployment.

To deploy the edited MC-LAG, see Deploying MC-LAG Configuration

Deleting an MC-LAG

To delete MC-LAG:

Click the Build mode icon in the Network Director banner.
Select Wired > Tasks > Manage MC-LAG in the Tasks pane.
The Manage MC-LAG page opens, displaying the existing MC-LAG peers and enables you to delete MC-LAGs. The MC-LAGs displayed can be MC-LAGs that are created using Network Director or through the CLI mode.
Click Delete for the corresponding MC-LAG Peers that you want to delete, in the Manage MC-LAG page.
Note:
If you delete an MC-LAG, Network Director removes the MC-LAG configuration settings from the peer devices and also deletes the LAG configuration from the client devices. The Deployment State changes to Pending Removal if the MC-LAG is already deployed. If it is not deployed, that is, if it is Pending Deployment, then the MC-LAG is removed from the Manage MC-LAG page.

Managing an MC-LAG Created Through CLI Mode

MC-LAG Peer Pairing
Mapping Client Devices to Peer Devices
Ports Mapping Between Peer-to-Peer and Client-to-Peer Devices

MC-LAG Peer Pairing

Once the MC-LAG devices are discovered by Network Director and Network Director successfully retrieves the MC-LAG configuration from the peer devices, Network Director pairs the MC-LAG peers based on the ICCP local IP address and peer IP address. For example, if Peer␣1 is configured with ICCP local IP address 192.0.2.1 and Peer IP address 192.0.2.2, and Peer 2 is configured with ICCP local IP address 192.0.2.2 and Peer IP address 192.0.2.1, then based on the local IP address of Peer␣1, Network Director searches for devices that have the same peer IP address as the local IP address. Because Peer 2 has the same peer IP address as the Peer␣1 IP address, these two devices form MC-LAG peers. If in case, the local IP address is not found, then Network Director displays one of the peer devices in the MC-LAG pair as Unknown in the MC-LAG Manage page.

Mapping Client Devices to Peer Devices

If LLDP is enabled in the connected ports of the peer devices and client devices, after refreshing the topology, the Edit MC-LAG page displays the Network Director managed client switches connected to peer devices. If the client device is not managed by Network Director, or if the client device is not a switch (it is a bare metal server or a hypervisor), or if the topology information is not available for the devices, then the Edit MC-LAG page displays the client device as Client_MC-AE ID (Unknown), where MC-AE ID specifies which MC-LAG the aggregated Ethernet port belongs to.

Ports Mapping Between Peer-to-Peer and Client-to-Peer Devices

On refreshing the topology, peer-to-peer link settings display the port mapping between the peer devices, and client-to-peer link settings display the port mapping between the client and peer devices.